Staff Report

Horacio Valdez

WARSAW — A Bristol man was arrested for allegedly driving a vehicle as a habitual traffic offender.

Horacio Valdez, 33, Bristol, is charged with operating a vehicle after being a habitual traffic offender, a level 6 felony; possession of marijuana, a class B misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor.

On Nov. 17, 2022, an Indiana State Police trooper was traveling east on CR 300N in Warsaw when he performed a license plate check on a vehicle.

According to court documents, a BMV return on the plate showed the vehicle’s registered owner had a suspended license status. When the trooper pulled the vehicle over, he identified Valdez as the vehicle’s driver and noticed the smell of marijuana. Valdez said the vehicle was owned by his brother.

When he was asked about the smell, Valdez gave the officer a bag containing marijuana and paraphernalia.

A BMV return showed Valdez had a license status of habitual traffic violator, with a re-eligibility date of Aug. 29, 2024. Valdez said he had previously been granted specialized driving privileges but did not have a copy of those privileges with him. The trooper determined the special driving privileges expired in October 2021.

Valdez was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on Aug. 14, 2024.